Since 1970, Penn State Harrisburg has published Fission and From the Fallout Shelter magazines. These are creative journals that allow students to showcase their creative side and submit writings in a variety of genres. Anyone can submit their writings. No prior experience or approval is required. Fission is published in the fall semester while From the Fallout Shelter is published in the spring.
Professor Eric Bliman is the adviser for the Fission magazine, and he provided an explanation of how students can get involved with submitting journals for the fall and spring semester.
“There are classes being offered to help advance your skills in writing and art. Students can sign up for ENGL 50: Intro to Creative Writing and ENGL 214, involving creative nonfiction writing,” Bliman explained.
“Every fall, ENGL 006 is offered for Creative Writing Common Time. This is a one class credit that is available to all. It is the introduction to the editing, writing, and what goes into submissions with the experience,” Bliman said.
“ENGL 237 is also being offered as Documentary Poetry,” he added.
In the spring semester, From the Fallout Shelter is published. It is named after the Air Force Base that used to be on campus. The Olmsted Building used to be a fallout shelter, so they wanted to honor and commemorate Penn State Harrisburg’s history as well as new beginnings and writings done by students.
Professor Jen Hirt is in charge of guiding and helping students to submit their literary journals at Penn State Harrisburg. She encourages students to challenge themselves to submit a journal for the spring semester.
“These journals also function as a snapshot of culture and college life. The library keeps an archived collection of these journals, and it’s neat to see how stories and poems change or stay the same over time,” Hirt said.
“I tell students that by contributing to the journals, they are contributing to PSU’s history of promoting literature, art, and the humanities,” she added.
Both magazines revolve around the themes of creative nonfiction, poetry, experimental/multi-genre forms, flash fiction, and one sentence stories. The journals will also accept black and white art graphics such as comics, paintings, illustrations, and photos. This opportunity is open to anyone who wants to express their thoughts and ideas in writing. It is meant to allow students to showcase their writing skills while also allowing their talent and creative ideas to be recognized.
Grace Durkovic, who won an award for one of her submissions, discussed the meaning behind her writing.
“I wrote my poem, titled “Rearview Mirror” about the three-hour drive back to campus after summer break,” Durkovic described.
“It explores the idea that my past is confined in the glass of my car’s rear view mirror – I left my home and my memories behind me, yet I still look back on them as I move forward with my life,” she continued.
Durkovic also described how her work got into the journal.
“I wrote the poem in my creative writing class last semester and was encouraged to submit it to Fission by my professor Jen Hirt. I had never had any of my work published before, and thought it couldn’t hurt to try. It’s a great addition to my resume, but it was also very rewarding to be able to share my work,” she stated.
Be sure to keep up to date with the submissions from this semester’s From the Fallout Shelter. Make sure to check out the website at sites.psu.edu/falloutshelter/. You can also click on the “special issues” tab that will give you access to all the previous issues of Fission.
